Key-fastener



(No Model.)

A. J. LYON. KEY PASTENER.

W/ TNE SSE S.'

l -UNiTED STA-TES "ATENT OFFICE.

KEY-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,448, dated July 5, 1892.

Application filed October 29, 1891. Serial No. 410,237. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADDISON J. LYON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, county of Westchester, vand State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvem ents in Guards for Locks and Keys, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to guards for locks and keys; and it consists in novel features of construction, which are fully described in the following specification 'and claim, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front View of my improved guard applied to a lock, the barrel of the key being shown in cross-section. Fig. 2 is also a front view thereof when turned to one side on its pivot, the key not being seen in this View. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line a: m of Fig. l.

One of the objects of my invention is the security of keys, which are often lost by reason of their withdrawal from the locks to which they belong.

Another object is to prevent persons from opening a lock whose key is left in the lock by seizing the key from without.

In carrying out inyinventionI make a guard A from sheet metal or other suitable material which possesses a good degree of elasticity and fasten it by a pivotal screw B to the face or face-plate C of a lock in such a manner that the guard can be turned on its pivot in one or both directions.

In applying my invention to the locks of houses or stores or dwellings I place it generally on the inside faces of the doors; but I do not limitmyself to its application at any particular place, as it can be adapted to locks of various descriptions.

In the example of my invention here shown the guard A is placed on the inside of a door on the face-plate C of the lock which is to be protected, to which it is fastened by a screw B, which may be the same screw that fastens the lower part of the face-plate C to the door or to the lock-casing. The head of the screw B is so constructed that it will allow the guard A to be turned toward the right hand or left hand without starting the screw and without turning the screw out of the door or the faceplate; but it is requisite that the head of the screw shall bear on the guard in such a manner as to press the guard against the faceplate suiciently close to produce frictional contact between them, so that the guard will remain in any position to which it is turned.

The guard -A is preferably made of I elastic material and its natural elasticity is increased, if desired, by bending it in the proper direction, as is indicated'at D in the drawings.

The guard A is constructed and arranged in such a manner that the point on which its pivot turns is in line with the keyhole E of the lock and its length beyond or above its pivotal point is such that its free end extends over the lower part of the keyhole and as far as to that part of the keyhole which contains the vbarrel F of the key, so that when the guard A has been moved to its vertical position, as in Figs. l and 3, its upper edge Gwill extend up to the barrel of the key, so that it will swing beneath it, but so as to clear it.

The under side of the guardAnear its free endis provided with a nipple H, which when the guard is in its vertical position projects into the keyhole, from which position it is moved toward either the right hand or the left hand by hand, for which purpose the guard A is provided with ears I I on its sides opposite the nipple, so that one taking hold of the ears can by that means swing the guard in either direction and slide the :nipple out of the keyhole. IVhen the nipple is out of the keyhole, it rests on the face-plate O and is held stationary by the spring-like action of the guard pressing on the face-plate until again moved by hand.

My improved lock and key guard can be made of any suitable material and to suit any form of lock which is provided with keyholes and any form of key which is provided with a barrel projecting into a keyhole.

In applying myimprovernent to use the free end of the guard A is turned to one side of the keyhole, as shown in Fig. 2, and the key is then inserted into the keyhole and the guard pushed to the position shown in Figs. l and 3, in which position it prevents the key from being pushed or pulled outward or inward, as the guard A is interposed to prevent the bit .I from passing through the keyhole in an in- IOO ward direction and the guard is also interbarrel of the key,the nipple II being adapted posed so as to prevent the ring K of the key to fall iu-to the keyhole sind interlock the from being pulled outward through the keyguard therewith, substantially :ts shown and hole or into the same. described. 15 5 What I claim as new, and desire to secure In testimony whereof I have hereunto set by Letters Patent, is my hand in the presence of two subscribing In guards for looks and keys, the elastic `witnesses'. guard A, provided with a nipple II and ear- ADDISON J. LYON. pieces I and pivoted to a door or look below 1, NVltnesses: lo the keyhole, the free end of the guard being CHARLES A. YOUNG,

adapted to swing over the keyhole below the J, VAN SANTVOORD. 

